Chapter Sixteen: Driving Out the Tiger to Devour the Wolf

[Mechanical Heart Level LV.1 285/500]
[Tip: Upgrading the Mechanical Heart grants special skill rewards. At levels LV3, LV6, and LV9, a mysterious awakening can be obtained.]
[Basic Attributes]
[Strength: LV1 33/50]
[Speed: LV1 9/50]
[Defense: LV0 20/30]
[Current Basic Skills]
[Mechanical Devour LV.2 2/500]
[Mechanical Fabrication LV.1 112/300]
[Mechanical Scan (Passive)]
[Mechanical Repair (Passive)]
[Mechanical Operation (Passive)]
[Special Skill]
[Wind Cannon LV.1 12/100]

Staring at the glowing screen before him, Lin Xian felt the Mechanical Heart within him roar wildly for a moment. A chill ran down his spine as excitement surged through him. Without hesitation, he focused his attention on the last freezer cabinet.

[Devouring Progress 2%]

The progress bar on the screen showed the devouring speed visibly accelerating!

“Just as I thought!!!”

This boost in efficiency was absolutely great news for him; saving precious time in critical moments and greatly reducing the risk during devouring.

Beep~

Lin Xian started timing with his watch and then concentrated fully on devouring.

[Devouring Progress 10%]
[Devouring Progress 20%]
…
[Devouring Progress 50%]
…
[Devouring Progress 80%]
[Devouring Progress 99%]

“So fast!” Lin Xian glanced at the time on his watch. Previously, devouring three freezer cabinets took him around one hour and forty minutes each. Now, it was less than an hour—only 55 minutes—and he was almost done.

Efficiency nearly doubled!!!

Before he could tamp down his excitement, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared!

[Devouring Successful: Mechanical Source +25, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +6, Extra Reward: You have acquired the Ice Shield skill!]

“Freezer… Ice Shield??”

Lin Xian was stunned. As expected, the skills acquired were somewhat related to the mechanical or electrical appliances he devoured.

Looking at the screen, it showed [Ice Shield LV1 0/100].

He hesitated for a moment, then tried to will it with a thought, raising his hand and waving it!

Crack, crack, crack!

In an instant, a small, crescent-shaped azure ice shield sprang up, enveloping him. Its height just covered his shoulders.

“Holy crap!”

Lin Xian shone his flashlight on this ice shield he had conjured out of thin air, feeling a bit dumbfounded.

The shield was not very thick—only about the thickness of a palm.

Bang!

He tried chopping it with his short knife, producing a dull cracking sound like breaking old ice cubes frozen for years in a freezer. The hardness was greater than he had imagined.

At the same time, Lin Xian felt a large portion of his energy being drained, making him wonder if it was worth it.

---

“This skill consumes quite a lot of energy. The defense probably can’t stop bullets; it’s only for emergencies. The cost-effectiveness is a bit…”

“Wait a minute.”

Lin Xian frowned as he looked at the ice shield before him.

After a moment’s silence, he stepped forward, stuck out his tongue, and licked the ice.

Colorless, tasteless, and icy cold…

Suddenly his pupils contracted, and an incomparable look of shock flashed in his eyes.

“Damn, it’s ice formed from thin air!!”

“With this trick… won’t I never lack water to drink in the apocalypse???”

His mind suddenly opened up with possibilities.

Clean water was an incredibly precious resource in the end times. Being able to conjure a large chunk out of thin air, though expensive in energy, was practically a huge gain!

Filled with excitement, Lin Xian chopped off a piece of the ice shield and popped it into his mouth. A wave of coolness spread through his oral cavity.

Though the weather outside was getting colder, the stuffy freezer made his head dizzy. A bite of ice instantly cleared his mind.

He checked the time, then turned and walked towards the freezer door.

Activating the Mechanical Heart, he unlocked the hinges again. However, the freezer door opened only slightly before being held shut by an iron chain outside.

“Old bastards!”

Lin Xian cursed silently, knowing these people must have tampered with the locks to prevent his escape.

But his purpose now was not to flee.

Click~

He turned on his flashlight again and, after confirming the direction of another freezer through the door crack, switched off the light.

Slowly, he extended his finger through the gap, using his sharp night vision, and focused his energy.

Pff!

A gust cannon shot out.

Though almost silent, the wind cannon slammed against the stainless steel door of the opposite freezer, producing a thunderous, resounding boom!

Boom… buzz!

The tremendous noise instantly echoed throughout the warehouse, rippling through the night.

Inside the freezer, a family was startled by the commotion.

“Who’s there!!!”

Caught off guard, several people reacted quickly. The two brothers hurriedly grabbed their pistols, but outside was pitch black—nothing was visible.

“Is it a monster?!” The chubby kid hid behind Gong Li, his face turning pale with fear.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”

“Shh! Don’t make a sound!” The elderly woman was visibly panicked. “Zhao Jian, A-Jie, don’t shoot. If you attract something, it’ll be trouble.”

The two brothers nodded nervously, swallowing hard in the darkness. For safety, the elderly woman turned off an electronic lamp used for dining. The freezer plunged into complete darkness.

Unease began to spread among them.

On the other side, Lin Xian’s face was cold and stern.

“So you like to catch turtles in a jar, huh? Today, I’ll teach you what a jar is, and what a turtle is.”

Pff!

Another silent gust cannon shot out, followed by an even louder roar.

Boom… buzz!

The Huang family jumped in fright again. They could no longer stay still.

“There’s something outside! Something’s outside!!!”

Huang Jie gripped his rifle, trembling uncontrollably.

“Damn it, what the hell is that?”

Amid these two loud blasts, the shrieks of zombies soon rose outside Warehouse 14, swelling from a few scattered cries to a full-blown horde. Not only that, a more eerie rustling sound, as if something was tearing through flesh, caused the parked trains nearby to screech against the rails, rapidly approaching.

Hearing this, Lin Xian immediately thought of that white giant monster, his heart pounding.

But now, he was trapped on the horns of a dilemma. Using his faint vision, he saw dense shadows flooding in through the open door, surging wildly into the warehouse. The piercing screams and howls filled the entire space, chilling to the bone.

Pff!

At this moment, Lin Xian decisively fired a third gust cannon—the deadliest one. He needed to lure the zombie horde completely away, or else he would be in serious trouble.

The Huang family, clearly hearing the masses of zombies pouring in, huddled in the deepest corner of the freezer. The two brothers, Huang Zhao Jian and Huang Jie, stared fearfully into the darkness, guns ready.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, the door is solid. Even crowbars can’t pry it open. Those monsters can’t get in!”

The eldest brother, Huang Zhao Jian, comforted everyone while swallowing hard.

Boom… buzz!

At that moment, the third blast struck the door.

The noise was like thunder crashing down. The family felt as if they were trapped inside an iron barrel, shaken to their very souls.

“Ahhhhh!!!”

The chubby kid couldn’t contain his terror and screamed out, only to be muffled by the elderly woman’s hand.

“Don’t scream!!!”

“What do we do?!”

“It’s okay, they can’t get in…”

“Goddamn it! I should’ve taken that train during the day and run!”

“It’s useless to say that now!”

Ugh, ugh!

Countless zombies, enraged by the sound, clawed and slammed against the door outside. The steel pipe and crowbar securing the door creaked ominously.

Everyone shivered with fear.

Then, a more horrifying sound appeared.

It was a beast-like chewing noise, as if something was tearing into zombies and simultaneously biting the steel door.

Crack, crack, crack, crack.

The heavy, forceful sound echoed sharply, even steel rang with the sound of shattering.

Finally, clang, clang.

The door groaned under strain, slowly opening bit by bit.

Inside, the Huang family, hearing this fatal sound, could no longer hold back; the women and children began crying and screaming.

“Ah!! Mom!”

“It’s over, what do we do now!!”

“Wahhh…”

At this moment, the howls of zombies grew louder inside the freezer.

Something had gotten in!

Huang Zhao Jian and Huang Jie’s faces turned ashen. Unable to bear it any longer, they raised their guns and fired into the darkness, attempting one last stand.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

The muzzle flashes from pistols and semi-automatic rifles instantly illuminated the entire freezer.

Then, all of them saw in horror: amid the countless ferocious zombies, there was a massive red monster bug. It opened its huge mandibles and emitted a shrill cry. The red creature was enormous, resembling a giant centipede at least as thick as an adult’s arm and several meters long. Its body was covered in crimson scales, and hundreds of legs writhed densely.

Just a glance at this beast sent chills from the soles of the family’s feet to their heads.

“Ah!!”

Piercing screams echoed throughout Warehouse 14.

But within mere breaths, the gunfire and screams abruptly ceased.

The warehouse was left with nothing but zombie howls and the crunching sounds of some insect.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian quietly closed his freezer door. Through the observation window, he also saw the shadow of that giant insect, holding his breath in fear.

He had expected the white giant monster to appear, but never imagined something even more terrifying.

He cursed inwardly.

“Damn it, is this some kind of ghost parade? Why are all these demons and monsters showing up on this planet…”

By comparison, Lin Xian suddenly felt the zombies looked almost kind and pitiful.

After all, they were just humans mutated after death.

His heart raced wildly. This risky plan to pit one beast against another was truly dangerous. One misstep, and that giant bug might be impossible to escape even aboard the “Infinite.”

“Damn it, my armor needs upgrading! My weapons need upgrading! The horsepower needs upgrading!”